


to chase the skies

by windbellows



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, introspective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:34:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23390266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windbellows/pseuds/windbellows
Summary: The wind that blows through the Forgotten Temple is old, older than Link knows, and it sings of an ancient tale.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	to chase the skies

The wind that blows through the Forgotten Temple is old, older than Link knows, and it sings through the earthen walls of the canyon and around the fiery dragon, weaving a tale ancient of clouds and the endless sky. A forgotten time indeed, and there’s a certain boy in the Tanagar Canyon that the wind is gently pushing - ever so closely, just a bit closer - towards the ruins at the end. 

\--

There’s much more to the Forgotten Temple than what meets the eye. Link finds this out the hard way, and he stumbles out of the blessing shrine (thank the _goddesses_ it’s but a blessing shrine), clothes singed from Guardian beams. He rubs at a wound on his arm and winces. The goddess statue looming overhead is the largest he’s ever seen, so unlike the Link-sized ones found in towns or even the one in the ruined temple upon the Plateau - so he feels kind of bad that what caught his eye was actually waiting for him, outside, on the temple exterior. Especially since the statue deserved such… guarding. 

After a scramble for his life back to the entrance Link lands onto the platform, nearly sprawling in his desperation to escape their bright red sights, and after catching his breath makes his way towards the carvings on the walls. From far away, one had looked like a bird - the other was too broken to tell - and up close it certainly is, but it's unlike any bird he’s seen before. The beak reminds him a little of ducks. He turns and leaps, gliding towards one of the pillars standing outside the temple, and from there snaps a picture. 

\--

Cherry’s familiar whirring fills the laboratory as Link sits back against the wall, fiddling with a spare Korok leaf. It bends this way and that but never tears, and he doesn’t know why it breaks like every one of his weapons. Maybe he’s cursed. He huffs a laugh at that thought. 

“Oh! Link?” It’s Jerrin, hurrying down the stairs. “What’s on the ancient tech menu for today?”

“Some arrows.”

“I see. It’s nice to see you again.” She plops herself down next to him. “By Hylia, you look awful.”

“I almost died twice earlier.” Link gropes at his side for his slate. “You’re good in ancient history, right?” Her face lights up. 

“It’s my specialty! Do you have a question for me? I’m honored - people only come here with questions for Robbie. What’s on your mind?”

“I went to this forgotten temple,” he says, scrolling through his pictures, “And I saw these carvings of birds. I was wondering if you would recognize them. They’re really old, so I thought you might.”

She looks at him, slightly bemused. “There’s lots of forgotten temples, but I’ll try my best.”

Finding the picture he took, he holds it up to her. “Here. It was these.” 

Jerrin looks at it for a couple of seconds, and Link can almost hear the whir of her brain like the technology he’s grown familiar with, and then she shakes her head. His heart sinks, inexplicably.

“I’ve studied half my life and I’ve read every book I have back to back, but I’ve never seen these, Link. I’m sorry. I’ve seen the same carvings on ruins around Hyrule, but never those birds in real life.”

“So you don’t know what they are?” She shakes her head again, with sadness.

“I wish I could tell you. They must have been majestic, to warrant dedication like that.” 

Link can’t help but agree. Cherry beeps; his ancient arrows are done.

\--

Revali’s Gale swirls around him and carries him higher and higher, and somehow it feels just _right_ , the lack of ground beneath his feet; Link remembers first flying off the Plateau clear as day, and the wind in his hair, stinging at his face. He chases that feeling, he thinks. It never quite left him, and it’s in the unnecessary glide from rock to rock, or the descent from a clifftop to the beach below. 

He spots those same birds like Jerrin had said, on the temple ruins dotted around Hyrule, and he takes time to look at them; they’re always in the same position, and their ancient stone faces are rough beneath his hand. They must have soared the skies, once. 

(The little girl at Woodland Stable babbles about the floating land in her dreams and Link laughs, agreeing, and pockets the star fragment. He’d like to ride a big bird up there too, he tells her, and she cheers.)

The unfortunate soul upon Ridgeland Tower gives him a challenge, and Link accepts. It’s such a familiar movement to unfurl the paraglider; maybe he was born for this. He leaps off the tower - the timer begins, and he soars. Miles above him a dark shape swoops through the clouds. It cries out, and then flies back above to the infinite beyond.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope everyone is doing well, and staying as safe as possible. Well wishes to all.


End file.
